Non-profit organisation dedicated to making the creative industry a healthier place to work, Never Not Creative, is expanding its mental well-being support groups, Circles.
The organisation is also launching two new groups, Allies and Here Now, to tackle the unconscious bias against women and to provide better opportunities for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) in the creative industry.
After a successful pilot program, Allies is now open to all male leaders and managers in the creative, media, and marketing industries to help bring awareness to the unconscious bias that restricts opportunities and support given to women and other gender identities.
The program aims to do this through education and a supportive space where men can speak, make mistakes, and practice their support for women without fear of 'getting it wrong'.
Here Now is an industry-led mentorship program created by Never Not Creative to help tackle the creative industry’s lack of diversity. The program addresses this by supporting and connecting a small group of BIPOC students in their final year of study or first-year of graduation with director and mid-senior level creatives.
Sumita Maharaj, board member of Never Not Creative, said: "The reality is that career advancement is often propelled by who you know, how wealthy you are, where you live, and what school you went to. As such, BIPOC work twice as hard to get their foot in the door."
Never Not Creative will also continue to run its signature mental well-being support groups, Circles, following the results of the Mentally-healthy survey 2022.
The survey found that more than 40% of people in the industry won’t tell someone if they need mental health support, and if they did tell someone, almost 50% were just as likely to rely on their peers and colleagues as a GP. Circles provide such support by bringing together small groups of people, united by industry experience and a passion for creativity, and through discussion around mental well-being and areas such as relationships, career, money, and personal growth.
Andy Wright, creator of Never Not Creative, said: "Our industry is in need of a safe space for individuals to connect with and learn from others with a similar experience. I’m really looking forward to bringing back Circles, expanding Allies, and launching Here Now, so as our industry can be a more inclusive, equitable, and mentally healthy place."
Registration for Circles, Allies, and Here Now is free and is now open and will close on Wednesday 1st February, with new groups scheduled to start shortly after.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.